Cyclone Montha nears Andhra coast near Kakinada: State on high alert; govt issues dos and don’ts

Amaravati: With the severe cyclonic storm, Montha, closing in on the Andhra Pradesh coast near Kakinada, the State government has placed its administration on maximum alert.

The system is expected to make landfall with 90–110 kmph winds and heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across multiple districts.

CM monitoring weather updates

Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the developing situation from the Real Time Governance Centre (RTGS) at the Secretariat on Monday and spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who assured full support from the Union Government.

The Chief Minister instructed authorities to monitor the cyclone’s movement hour-to-hour and take zero-risk measures, especially in coastal and low-lying habitations. The CM has also appealed to citizens to stay indoors and remain vigilant until all-clear instructions are issued.

Minister for Disaster Management & RTGS Nara Lokesh is coordinating inter-departmental response, communication systems and district-level readiness.

The Minister has directed all municipal bodies and district administrations to operate 24×7 control rooms, ensure uninterrupted communication and issue alerts through RTGS, APSDMA and local networks.

The key measures being taken for preparation for the cyclone are:

1. Evacuation and Relief Arrangements

- Vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, elderly and coastal belt residents, shifted to safer locations

- 260 relief centres in Kakinada and 140 in Nellore, with food, milk and water stocked for 2–3 days

- 364 schools readied as shelters and 14,000+ schools given precautionary holiday in affected areas

- All beaches closed; fishermen prohibited from venturing into the sea

- Red alerts issued for Kakinada, Konaseema, West Godavari, Krishna, Bapatla, Prakasam & Nellore districts

2. Rescue and Rapid Response Deployment

- 11 NDRF and 12 SDRF teams positioned for rescue, evacuation and flood response

- Fire Services, swimmers, OBM boats, life jackets, and emergency equipment placed across coastal zones

- 108/104 ambulance network and medical camps were activated in all cyclone shelters

3. RTGS and Communication

- RTGS War Room running 24×7, tracking rainfall, wind, inundation, reservoirs, traffic, and field alerts

- Satellite phones, V-SATs, digital radios, repeaters, and wireless support are pre-positioned to prevent network failure

- Hourly situation reports are being shared with the Government and District Collectors

4. Roads, Power and Public Utilities

- JCBs, power saws, and dewatering pumps were deployed across vulnerable stretches

- Energy Rapid Restoration Teams with transformers, poles, conductors, and generators stationed in coastal districts

- RWS tankers, chlorine tablets, bleaching powder, and safe drinking water backups are kept ready

5. Civil Supplies and Health

- Sufficient rice, essentials, and relief stock are positioned at Mandal Level Stock Points

- Emergency drug stocks, boat clinics, and Rapid Response Medical Teams mobilised for health support

Disaster relief funds released

To enable immediate relief work, the Government has authorised withdrawal of funds under TR-27 for rescue, evacuation, medical care, food, drinking water, sanitation and road clearance. Additional funds may be drawn by severely affected districts as needed.

Public advisory

Citizens are requested to:

- Remain indoors until the Government issues an all-clear

- Avoid beaches, low-lying areas and flooded roads

- Follow only official alerts from RTGS/APSDMA/Collectorates

- Use emergency helplines in case of distress

Weather update

The Cyclonic Storm Montha over the Southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 17 kmph during the past six hours.

At 2:30 pm on October 27, it lay centred over the west-central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, near latitude 13.0°N and longitude 84.2°E, about 440 km east of Chennai (Tamil Nadu), 490 km south-southeast of Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), 530 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 710 km south-southwest of Gopalpur (Odisha).

It is likely to move north-northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by the morning of October 28. Continuing to move further north-northwestwards, it is very likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during the evening/night of 28th October as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph.

Depression over the eastern Arabian Sea

The depression over the east-central part of the Arabian Sea moved northeastwards with a speed of 8 kmph during the past six hours.

At 2:30 pm on October 27, it lay centred over the same region, near latitude 16.7°N and longitude 67.3°E, about 570 km southwest of Veraval (Gujarat), 650 km west-southwest of Mumbai (Maharashtra), 710 km west-northwest of Panjim (Goa), 850 km northwest of Aminidivi (Lakshadweep) and about 920 km west-northwest of Mangalore (Karnataka).

It is likely to move nearly north-northeastwards across the Eastcentral Arabian Sea during the next 48 hours.

Flights suspended

As a precautionary measure, several flight operations have been suspended for October 28th.

Air India Express officials announced that flights departing from and arriving at Vijayawada airport have been cancelled. Except for the Delhi route, all Air India Express services stand suspended.

Flight services operated by IndiGo to and from Vizag, Vijayawada and Rajahmundry, have been cancelled.

Passengers have been advised to check flight status before travelling to the airport.